Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)

{{Infobox song

| name = Hangin' on a String

| cover = Hangin on a String.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Loose Ends

| album = So Where Are You?
(also on U.S. version of A Little Spice)

| B-side = A Little Spice

| released = February 23, 1985

| recorded = 1984

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = {{flatlist|

R&B
funk

}}

| length = 3:42

| label = Virgin Records

| writer = Carl McIntosh, Jane Eugene, Steve Nichol

| producer = Nick Martinelli

| prev_title = Choose Me (Rescue Me)

| prev_year = 1984

| next_title = Magic Touch

| next_year = 1985

| misc =

}}

"Hangin' on a String (Contemplating)" is the seventh single by British soul band Loose Ends from their second studio album, So Where Are You?, and was released in February 1985 by Virgin Records. In the group's native UK, the single made the top twenty.{{cite book|last1=McAleer|first1=Dave|last2=Gregory|first2=Andy|last3=White|first3=Matthew|title=The Virgin Book of British Hit Singles, Volume 2|date=November 15, 2010|publisher=Random House|page=284|isbn=9780753522455|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VJdluttJgn4C&q=loose+ends|accessdate=29 September 2020}}

Outside the UK, the single went to number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart for one week.{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=359}} This made Loose Ends the first British band ever to top that chart {{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p102380|label=Nick Martinelli}} It also reached number 43 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Track listing

7” Single: VS748

"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" 3.42
"A Little Spice" 5.08

12” Single: VS748-12

"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"A Little Spice" 5.08

2nd 12” Single: VS748-13

"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"Silent Talking" (feat. Tom Browne)
"A Little Spice" 5.08

3rd 12” Single: VS748-14

"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" (Mastermind Megamix)
"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58

3” CD Single: released 1989

"Hangin' on a String [Contemplating]" (Extended Dance Mix) 5.58
"A Little Spice" 5.08
"Emergency [Dial 999]" (Extended Remix) 6.42

Chart performance

class="wikitable"

!Chart (1985)

!Peak
position

UK Singles Chart{{cite web|title=LOOSE ENDS - full Official Chart History|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21437/loose-ends/|website=Official Charts Company|accessdate=1 February 2020}}

|align="center"|13

align="left"|U.S. Billboard Hot 100{{cite web |title=Loose Ends Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography |url=https://www.musicvf.com/Loose+Ends.art |website=Music VF |accessdate=29 September 2020}}

| style="text-align:center;"|43

align="left"|U.S. Billboard Dance

| style="text-align:center;"|12

align="left"|U.S. Billboard R&B

| style="text-align:center;"|1